The airline was founded in 1974 as a tax-break by Gunter Eheim, a German World War II test pilot and later manufacturer of aquarium filters, initially operating chartered passenger services using a small fleet of Dassault Falcon 20 and Learjet[specify] aircraft.[1] In 1981, Contact Air became one of the launch customers for the British Aerospace Jetstream, along with US carrier Mall Airways.[2] Its first aircraft of that type was delivered in the following year.[2]
In 1984, Contact Air was subcontracted by DLT to operate one of its Jetstreams on scheduled regional flights on behalf of Lufthansa.[1] Subsequently, DLT acquired 24.8 percent of the Contact Air shares.[1]
Having waged the alternative of ordering the ATR 42, Contact Air announced in 1986 that it had chosen the de Havilland Canada Dash 8-100 for a fleet enlargement, thus becoming the second European airline to operate that type, after Tyrolean Airways.[3][4] Two years later, Contact Air became the first non-Canadian buyer of the stretched Dash 8-300 version, ordering three aircraft worth $35 million.[4]
In April 1996, Contact Air became a founding member of Team Lufthansa.[5] In 2004, this airline association was reorganized as Lufthansa Regional, a Star Alliance affiliate. Henceforth, all Contact Air flights were operated using the Lufthansas branding and flight numbers.
On 29 November 2011, it was reported that Lufthansa would terminate its contract with Contact Air effective 1 October 2012. At that time, the Contact Air fleet consisted of eight Fokker 100, six of which were operated on behalf of Lufthansa out of Stuttgart Airport, with another two being based at Zurich Airport and operated for Swiss International Air Lines.[6] In May 2012, Contact Air agreed to be taken over by OLT Express Germany, a step which was finalized in September of that year following its approval by the Federal Cartel Office.[7]
The Fokker 100 involved in the emergency landing of Flight 288 shortly after the incident at Stuttgart Airport.
On 6 January 1993, Lufthansa Flight 5634 from Bremen to Paris, which was carried out under the Lufthansa CityLine brand using a Contact Air Dash 8-300 (registered D-BEAT), crashed 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) short of the runway of Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport. Four out of the 23 passengers on board died; the four crew members survived. The accident happened as a result of a failed go-around, which had become necessary because the aircraft ahead, a Boeing 747 of Korean Air, had suffered a blown tyre upon landing and the runway had subsequently been closed.[14]
On 14 September 2009, Lufthansa Flight 288 from Berlin to Stuttgart, which was operated by a Contact Air Fokker 100 registered D-AFKE, made an emergency landing at Stuttgart Airport at 10:47 local time due to undercarriage failure. There were no injuries amongst the five crew members and 73 passengers on board.[15] In the media coverage following the accident, Contact Air was criticised for operating ageing Fokker 100 aircraft, some of which previously had belonged to an airline that had been banned from European airspace over safety concerns.[16]
contact, flugdienst, german, regional, airline, from, filderstadt, with, flight, operations, based, stuttgart, airport, operated, scheduled, passenger, flights, under, lufthansa, regional, brand, iata, icao, callsign, contactairfounded1974ceased, operations201. Contact Air Flugdienst was a German regional airline from Filderstadt With flight operations based at Stuttgart Airport it operated scheduled passenger flights under the Lufthansa Regional brand Contact AirIATA ICAO Callsign C3 KIS CONTACTAIRFounded1974Ceased operations2012 acquired by OLT Express Germany Operating basesStuttgart AirportFrequent flyer programMiles amp MoreAllianceStar AllianceHeadquartersFilderstadt GermanyKey peopleW A Hayward owner Websitecontactair de Contents 1 History 2 Corporate affairs 3 Destinations 4 Fleet 5 Incidents and accidents 6 References 7 External linksHistory editThe airline was founded in 1974 as a tax break by Gunter Eheim a German World War II test pilot and later manufacturer of aquarium filters initially operating chartered passenger services using a small fleet of Dassault Falcon 20 and Learjet specify aircraft 1 In 1981 Contact Air became one of the launch customers for the British Aerospace Jetstream along with US carrier Mall Airways 2 Its first aircraft of that type was delivered in the following year 2 In 1984 Contact Air was subcontracted by DLT to operate one of its Jetstreams on scheduled regional flights on behalf of Lufthansa 1 Subsequently DLT acquired 24 8 percent of the Contact Air shares 1 Having waged the alternative of ordering the ATR 42 Contact Air announced in 1986 that it had chosen the de Havilland Canada Dash 8 100 for a fleet enlargement thus becoming the second European airline to operate that type after Tyrolean Airways 3 4 Two years later Contact Air became the first non Canadian buyer of the stretched Dash 8 300 version ordering three aircraft worth 35 million 4 In April 1996 Contact Air became a founding member of Team Lufthansa 5 In 2004 this airline association was reorganized as Lufthansa Regional a Star Alliance affiliate Henceforth all Contact Air flights were operated using the Lufthansas branding and flight numbers On 29 November 2011 it was reported that Lufthansa would terminate its contract with Contact Air effective 1 October 2012 At that time the Contact Air fleet consisted of eight Fokker 100 six of which were operated on behalf of Lufthansa out of Stuttgart Airport with another two being based at Zurich Airport and operated for Swiss International Air Lines 6 In May 2012 Contact Air agreed to be taken over by OLT Express Germany a step which was finalized in September of that year following its approval by the Federal Cartel Office 7 Corporate affairs editPrior to acquisition the headquarters were in Filderstadt 8 Previously they were in Stuttgart 9 Destinations edit nbsp Contact Air Dash 8 300 1994 nbsp Contact Air Fokker 50 in Team Lufthansa livery 2003 nbsp Contact Air ATR 42 500 in Lufthansa Regional livery 2008 nbsp Contact Air Fokker 100 in Lufthansa Regional livery 2010 The scheduled destinations that were served by Contact Air on behalf of Lufthansa included 5 10 11 Country City Airport Austria Graz Graz Airport Vienna Vienna International Airport Belgium Brussels Brussels Airport Czech Republic Prague Prague Ruzyne International Airport France Mulhouse EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport Germany Berlin Berlin Tegel Airport Bremen Bremen Airport Cologne Cologne Bonn Airport Dresden Dresden Airport Dusseldorf Dusseldorf Airport Frankfurt Frankfurt Airport Hamburg Hamburg Airport Hannover Hannover Airport Leipzig Leipzig Halle Airport Munich Munich Airport Nuremberg Nuremberg Airport Paderborn Paderborn Lippstadt Airport Stuttgart Stuttgart Airport base Hungary Budapest Budapest Ferihegy International Airport Italy Bologna Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport Milan Malpensa Airport Turin Turin Airport Switzerland Geneva Geneva International Airport Zurich Zurich AirportFleet editOver the years of its existence Contact Air operated the following aircraft types 12 13 Aircraft Introduced Retired ATR 42 500 2003 2010 ATR 72 212 2005 British Aerospace Jetstream 1982 2 Unknown De Havilland Canada Dash 8 100 1986 1994 De Havilland Canada Dash 8 300 1990 1997 Fokker 50 1996 2004 Fokker 100 2008 2012Incidents and accidents edit nbsp The Fokker 100 involved in the emergency landing of Flight 288 shortly after the incident at Stuttgart Airport On 6 January 1993 Lufthansa Flight 5634 from Bremen to Paris which was carried out under the Lufthansa CityLine brand using a Contact Air Dash 8 300 registered D BEAT crashed 1 800 metres 5 900 ft short of the runway of Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport Four out of the 23 passengers on board died the four crew members survived The accident happened as a result of a failed go around which had become necessary because the aircraft ahead a Boeing 747 of Korean Air had suffered a blown tyre upon landing and the runway had subsequently been closed 14 On 14 September 2009 Lufthansa Flight 288 from Berlin to Stuttgart which was operated by a Contact Air Fokker 100 registered D AFKE made an emergency landing at Stuttgart Airport at 10 47 local time due to undercarriage failure There were no injuries amongst the five crew members and 73 passengers on board 15 In the media coverage following the accident Contact Air was criticised for operating ageing Fokker 100 aircraft some of which previously had belonged to an airline that had been banned from European airspace over safety concerns 16 One of Contact Air s former Fokker 100 aircraft crashed in Kazakhstan as Bek Air Flight 2100 on December 27 2019 killing 12 17 References edit a b c World Airline Directory Contactair Flugdienst Flight International 82 27 March 1991 Retrieved 15 October 2013 a b c Jetstream 31 clinches first sales Flight International 1813 13 June 1981 Retrieved 15 October 2013 DHC Scores in Europe Flight International 2 17 May 1986 Retrieved 15 October 2013 a b Canada exports Dash 8 300 Flight International 15 20 August 1988 Retrieved 15 October 2013 a b Directory World Airlines Contact Air Flugdienst Flight International 51 19 March 2002 Retrieved 15 October 2013 Contact Air verliert Lufthansa Vertrag in German airliners de 29 November 2011 Retrieved 15 October 2013 Stuttgarter Contact Air geht in OLT Express Germany auf in German aero de 5 July 2012 Retrieved 15 October 2013 Impressum Contact Air 17 July 2012 Retrieved on 7 January 2015 Contact Air Flugdienst GmbH Co Gottlieb Manz Strasse 2 70794 Filderstadt Impressum Contact Air 13 April 2008 Retrieved on 7 January 2015 Contact Air Flugdienst GmbH Co Echterdinger Str 30 D 70599 Stuttgart Plieningen Directory World Airlines Contact Air Flugdienst Flight International 50 25 March 2003 Retrieved 15 October 2013 Directory World Airlines Contact Air Flugdienst Flight International 56 23 March 2004 Retrieved 15 October 2013 Contactair fleet details airfleets net Retrieved 15 October 2013 Contact Air fleet details and history planespotters net Retrieved 15 October 2013 Accident description of Lufthansa Flight 5634 Aviation Safety Network Retrieved 28 September 2009 Accident description of Lufthansa Flight 288 Aviation Safety Network Retrieved 28 September 2009 Fliegende Zeitbombe Der Spiegel in German 125 21 September 2009 Archived from the original on 16 June 2013 Retrieved 15 October 2013 Putanicu s kolichestvom zhertv pri krushenii samoleta Bek Air priznali chinovnikiExternal links edit nbsp Media related to Contact Air at Wikimedia Commons Contact Air Archive Portals nbsp Germany nbsp Companies nbsp Aviation Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Contact Air amp oldid 1195961413, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
